Family Law and Divorce

Upon request, attorney Mark C. Hartsoe will assist selected parties in divorce proceedings that involve litigation over property division and child custody issues. Mr. Hartsoe is called to assist other divorce attorneys when serious litigation is involved.

Many Tennessee residents face issues related to family law—such as divorce, requests for spousal support (or alimony), child custody, division of property, and annulments of marriage. Each of those issues has both emotional and financial components, and the resolution of conflicts related to family law can often be costly in terms of time, money, and stress.

Tennessee attorney Mark Hartsoe is dedicated to providing his clients the highest level of legal services and personalized representation during difficult times in their lives. Our firm can help you through the entire divorce process, from the filing of the initial petition to the signing of the final decree that will allow you to move on with your life. While we will do our utmost to help you reach a marital settlement agreement, we are also prepared to represent you in court in relation to any contested issues.

We are ready to help you address key matters such as

child custody and visitation

division of marital property

requests for alimony (or spousal support)

protective orders in cases that involve domestic violence.

In general, you must be a resident of Tennessee for at least 6 months before you can file for divorce in this state (some exceptions do exist). Uncontested divorces (i.e. those in which the spouses can reach agreement on all the issues involved) take several months; contested ones can take far longer.

In Tennessee, spousal support is not a “given”; while either spouse may request financial support from the other, a judge will consider a number of factors in determining whether or not to grant such a request.

In regard to child custody, Tennessee law makes no presumption about which spouse should be the main custodial parent. Child custody has two dimensions: physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody refers to the child’s residence, and to the custodial parent’s responsibility to meet the child’s daily needs. Legal custody refers to the authority to make decisions about the child’s health care, education, religion, and other similar aspects of the child’s life.

Ex-spouses may share physical custody of their children, legal custody, or both. When a parent has a smaller percentage of the physical custody, he or she is described as having “visitation” rights. (Please see additional information about “Father’s Visitation.”). Child custody may be determined as part of a divorce, but parents may request modifications of custody orders (which would be considered by family court judges) until the children are no longer minors. In cases where parents can’t agree on a custody arrangement for their children, a family court judge will determine that arrangement, based on the “best interests” of the children.

In cases in which spouses can’t agree regarding the division of their property, a family court judge will divide the couple’s marital property on an “equitable” basis—which means that the property will not be divided equally, but fairly, after taking into consideration the spouses’ ages, health, finances, earning power, and various other factors.

Child support is mandated by Tennessee law and calculated according to a state-established formula.

Issues such as child custody, child support, and alimony may also be addressed in the context of legal separation, rather than divorce.

Many people have a lot of misconceptions about various aspects of divorce and family law. If you are considering divorce, or if your spouse has begun divorce proceedings, the best way to ensure that you have a clear and realistic view of what will follow is to discuss your case with a knowledgeable and effective Tennessee divorce attorney.

You will need both information and support. Please contact The Hartsoe Law Firm today to schedule an initial consultation regarding any issue related to Tennessee family law: call (865) 524-5657, email hartsoe@knoxvilleinjury.com, or fill out and submit our online “Contact Us” form.

I was on my way to Atlanta and a huge truck rear-ended me and knocked me off the side of the road. I was scared. Didn’t know what to do. I tried working with the insurance company. They are just difficult to work with. I had to call somebody to take care of me. So, My brother told me to call Mark Hartsoe. As soon as I called Mark Hartsoe, he let me know real quick that everything was going to be okay and that he would take care of everything. And, he did. He got me a great settlement. He took the worry off of me. Mickey Anderson

★★★★★

I was hit coming home late at night by a drunk driver who took off. And the next day I was able to track down his vehicle and get the state police involved. At that point, a family friend recommended that I talk to Mark Hartsoe. Pretty much at that point, Mark handled the police, the insurance company and the guy who hit me. Settled with the actual person that hit me. Outside of that, everything came out great. Did not have to go to court. Got a great settlement. Got my car replaced. Got a check. Mark Hartsoe is my lawyer. Nate Holder

★★★★★

I was involved in a motorcycle accident. It was a head-on collision. I broke my arm, injured by knee. I was out of work for a long time and had medical bills, other expenses. A personal friend handed me a card for Mark Hartsoe. I called Mark Hartsoe from the side of the road and he took care of everything. My case was settled out of court. I received a great settlement. Bike was totaled, motorcycle was replaced. It was easy, painless. About as painless as something like this can be. This is why my lawyer is Mark Hartsoe. John Lusinger

★★★★★

I wanted to thank you for the excellent representation and your ability to handle the situation so well with such compassion and strength. We appreciate all of your help, concern and for answering my many questions. It has been a difficult road to travel but when we come across people like you, it really helps to lighten the load. We just wanted you to know how much we appreciate what you’ve done and your ability to handle the situation so well. S. Carter

★★★★★

Thank you so much for all the work you did on our case. We received more than we expected. You were great through the whole time from the first meeting until the last. Thank you so very much. Sam & Judy Kachar

We serve clients throughout Tennessee including those in the following localities: Knox County including Knoxville; Blount County including Alcoa, Louisville, and Maryville; Anderson County including Clinton and Oak Ridge; Bradley County including Cleveland; Campbell County including La Follette; Claiborne County including Tazewell; Cocke County including Newport; Cumberland County including Crossville; Fentress County including Jamestown; Grainger County including Rutledge; Greene County including Greeneville; Hamblen County including Morristown; Hamilton County including Chattanooga; Jefferson County including Dandridge, Jefferson City, and Strawberry Plains; Loudon County including Lenoir City and Loudon; McMinn County including Athens; and Monroe County including Madisonville.